Realizations

This week has been an interesting week to say the least.  I have received my first two clients as well as some road blocks. I was given a few clients who are placed in the next county, this was not a surprise being that I am the new social worker.  However, their needs include moving out of their current place and into independent living and as I completed my research on housing, I realized I was already doomed. After the meeting, everyone suggested I only visit these clients less than once a week.  I am not sure how to approach parts of this job.  I thought the mission was to spend time with clients in the field but, at the same time everyone seems resistant of this idea.  I feel like an over achiever at times as well as the only one committed to the well-being of clients, although I know this is not true. In reflection, my expectations of the duties of the job are conflicting with my peers ideas of the way case management has been in the past.  I had a conversation with my superior as she stopped in to ask me how I was doing.  Without throwing anyone under the bus, I simply asked how much time were we supposed to be spending with the clients.  She stated since she came on as Clinical Supervisor she reduced the caseload to under ten and would like more intensive services be provided.  I shared with her that I was unsure this was the teams philosophy.  She then assured me  I had the right idea and the rest would have to come around sooner or later.    

I am realizing many things about my new position and the agency I work for.  Many people are showing great resistance to change as well as the recovery model we are striving for.  I am also realizing there is a big difference in care and how we approach our jobs based on our educational level.  Half of my co-workers have past work experience in psych-hospitals with no formal education and the other half are MFT's.  The approaches are all quite different, the MFT's would like to be somewhere where they can practice therapy and the older Social Workers are resistant to change. I am realizing the STAR team caseload consists with clients who are very ill and have been on and off conservator ship for not being able to care for themselves. Overall, I feel we are dedicated to helping our clients but we all go about it in different ways.  I can appreciate this as long as they will appreciate my way is also different than theirs.